Jack is 4 months post surgery. A few updates: he’s started middle school!! He’s managing his diabetes and medication solely and I haven’t had to stop by the school to assist. It’s crazy! The first day we were apart for the entire school day I sobbed in relief when he showed me his glucose monitor and the perfectly straight line. It was the first time apart for more than a couple hours in 4 months and the first time I wasn’t actually needed. While we logically knew he would once again be independent, it feels surreal, like leaving your kid at daycare for the first time after maternity leave all over again. He continues to need less and less insulin, and his basal levels have even been lowered. All excellent signs. His body is working hard and the islet cells are taking nicely.
Jack once again made climb team and is excited to get back on the wall for boulder season. He has been very hesitant to climb ever since his surgery, so I’m happy to see him facing his fears. He will be able to build on his strength for the first time ever on team, with (hopefully) no more hospitalizations setting him back, so I’m excited to watch his skills grow.
Lastly, he bet me he could run 2 miles without stopping. I took that bet hoping to humble him…and so he ran 2 miles and felt so good he did a third. One year ago he started training for a 5k and couldn’t do more than 5 minutes at a time. Every run caused immense pain and after every hospitalization we were back to square one. This weekend he ran a 5k without any training in 31 minutes. This might be the biggest benchmark of his health improvement AND HES ONLY 4 MONTHS POST OP! I’m so thankful. Since his first run, he’s decided he will do an official 5k in October and has been training. He’s already gotten about 10 miles under his belt and I’m so freaking proud. We are trying to manage the low blood sugar during these runs but should have it figured out by October.
The surgery was a scary choice, it was a dark time and a stressful past year, but I’m thrilled to see my baby healthier than ever. We’re continuing to see improvements every day!